BlondeAmbition

Thanks for your info. That is not the experience of my surgeon or his colleagues involved in the trial. Many patients have been unhappy (I personally know five women that swapped them out) and my surgeon is no longer a fan (nor are any of the other surgeons I consulted before making the decision). My surgeon will still use them if a patient requests them, but they are not recommending them upfront as they did three years ago. I suppose it's possible that the round textured are an improvement, but the cohesive silicone was heavy and didn't pass the 'hug' test. Just as an fyi, I saw the Nightline piece tonight and was unaware that you coined the term 'gummy bear'. The women in my support group found the moniker highly offensive in that it minimized a procedure that for us, was not 'elective'. This is a pervasive feeling in the breast cancer community. Just thought you might want to know. Best, BA

Thanks, Makenzie / Megan. I will definitely check it out. I'm thrilled with my results and hope the experience can be a resource to other women going through this.

I participated in a clinical trial using the Allergen 410s following a bilateral mastectomy. I ended up swapping them out for round silicone (Allergen high profile) last summer, prior to having my nipple reconstruction.

I know many women who participated in the trial and are dissatisfied. My own surgeon has a high percentage of patients who have replaced them with other implants and is no longer recommending the option to new patients.

I did not like the firmness (people noticed how hard they were when they hugged me), they were heavy, and lacked projection -- so much so that they were very difficult to fit with a bra.

We also discovered one of the implants had rotated when it was removed.

I couldn't be happier with the round silicone and have not experienced any rippling (which is always a concern).

In summary, while cohesive silicone may be the right option for some, I think it is highly dependent on frame and body type. The same way that skinny jeans and bell bottoms don't work on all body types, I'd caution women against lining up to get them just because they are the newest thing. Expectations need to be discussed with your plastic surgeon and they will know what implant will work best for you.

One other footnote -- I never knew that someone actually coined the name 'gummy bear' -- we all thought it was just based on the materials --- but there are many women in the BC community that positively cringe when they are referred to as that because it infantilizes a very serious disease by reducing it to a popular candy. (Just some feedback I got in my support group)